I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 365 The Stalemate of War

Theseus Scamander

A war hero of World War I.

In 1914, Gellert Grindelwald began to rise rapidly in Europe and led his followers to continuously create riots in various countries of Irvine in an attempt to overthrow the wizarding order ruled by the International Confederation of Wizards.

At that time, Archer Evermond, then Minister for Magic of England, enacted emergency legislation to ban wizards from participating in war.

Because of Dumbledore, Grindelwald never brought the war to England.

It's understandable that the British Ministry of Magic chose to remain neutral.

Archer Evermond's reasoning was that if Britain entered the war, it would be a serious violation of the International Secrecy Act.

Saying that is basically pure nonsense.

At that time, Europe was in a state of chaos, and who cared about the Secrecy Act?

If you don't want to participate in the war, just say you don't want to. It's shameless to stand by and watch with a high-sounding excuse.

At the time, Henry Potter, then serving in Wizengamot, launched into a tirade against the Minister of Magic's policies. But this verbal barrage did little to change the British Ministry of Magic's stance on this war in Europe.

Since the war won't affect us, why should we care?

Henry Potter's sharp wit was partly passed down to his great-grandson, Harry Potter.

However, despite the frequent occurrence of inhumane practices within the British Ministry of Magic, the lower classes still expressed sympathy for the European occupation.

Especially the Hogwarts graduates at that time.

Under the influence of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Dumbledore, they were all eager to participate in the war and travel to Europe to carry out the cause of justice.

Theseus Scamander was one of the graduates of Hufflepuff.

In 1916, Theseus Scamander, who had been silent for two years, launched a call to support the war in Europe. The call stirred up the people all over Britain, and soon a wizarding force of a thousand men was assembled to participate in the wizarding war.

After the battle, Theseus Scamander was honored as a war hero.

The war ended in 1918 with a resounding victory for the Federation.

Grindelwald was forced to go underground.

In 1926, he amassed a large following of Marauders, enough to fuel reactionary politics. He then infiltrated the Magical Congress of the United States under the guise of a high-ranking Auror, Percival Grevis, and joined forces with Credence Byrburne, a boy of mysterious origins (from the story of Fantastic Beasts 1).

This marked the beginning of Grindelwald's rapid expansion of power.

Over the next 12 years, he continued to build up his strength.

Finally, in 1938, they openly launched a war against the global wizarding world.

Grindelwald thus reached the pinnacle of his power.

A massive organization capable of resisting the International Federation of Wizards.

Theseus Scamander became deeply involved in this wizarding war that swept across half the globe.

Historically known as: The First Global Wizarding War.

It is important to note that the wars waged by Voldemort are called the First Wizarding War and the Second Wizarding War (after his resurrection).

In terms of both depth and breadth, it cannot be compared to the global wizarding war sparked by Grindelwald.

It can be said that Theseus Scamander himself participated in almost all the wars of the last century.

Their record also progressed from one victory to another.

His personal prestige also rose accordingly, and in Britain, he was probably second only to Dumbledore in prestige.

Moreover, Theseus Scamander was a wizard who perfectly embodied the spirit of Hufflepuff.

He was never greedy for power; he only did what he should do and what was right.

Given his prestige, he was more than qualified to be elected Minister of Magic, but he never intended to take power. After the First Wizarding War against Voldemort, he announced his retirement.

Just like the Knights of the Round Table depicted in the legendary British dynasty, Camelot, when the kingdom is once again in crisis, this noble knight will surely draw his sword, step out of the countryside, and defend his country.

Theseus is now the supreme commander of the entire Eastern Front, encompassing Greece, parts of Italy, Egypt, Türkiye, and some of the supporting French, German, and British Aurors.

He is absolutely perfect for this position.

After all—even Dumbledore had no experience directly commanding thousands of wizards in battle.

But Theseus already had experience by the age of twenty.

Of course—Barty Crouch, the British Minister for Magic who had just suffered a setback at the hands of the Muggle Prime Minister, certainly didn't want to see Theseus Scamander taking command on the spot.

That negotiation with the Muggle prime minister left him utterly humiliated.

Mr. Huck never showed much interest in him, but he valued Dumbledore highly.

The two continued talking for an unknown amount of time after he left.

Anyway, Barty Crouch had a million thoughts about pulling Theseus Scamander, this complete Dumbledore, down from his current position.

Unfortunately—his thinking was completely useless.

Because Theseus Scamander has resigned from his position at the Ministry of Magic, he is now a special command advisor to the International Confederation of Wizards and is not subject to the control of Old Crouch.

Moreover, given Theseus's prestige, what right did Crouch have to interfere?

The Wizard Alliance also highly regarded this commander.

At least the federation didn't send them a single civil servant to work in their office.

Eastern Front Command.

On that luxurious Muggle yacht.

Theseus was frowning as he looked through his telescope at the battle unfolding outside the curtain.

The combat capabilities of wizards from different countries varied greatly, and the battle lines were constantly being stretched out in different places, requiring flexible adjustments.

Occasionally, small ominous signs would emerge.

All he could do was keep sending people to the top.

If this continues, the battle line will soon collapse, because you will never know the true level of the sorcerers from Egypt, Greece, Italy, and other countries in the same trench next to you.

It's possible that while you're struggling to hold on, his battle lines are frayed, and then a small group of ominous beings will emerge to launch a sneak attack from behind, putting you in a pincer movement.

Therefore, the wizards on the front lines always kept a secret.

He didn't exert himself fully; most of his attention was on the other wizards around him.

It would be a miracle if such a wizarding force, which is dragging each other down, could withstand the Child of the Ominous.

"Theseus, have you received any news from the Ministers of Magic of various countries? When can we enter the veil?"

Beside Theseus, Sirius asked anxiously.

Other wizards.

People like Mrs. Maxim, Professor McGonagall, and Snape, who came to provide support, have already joined the advancing defensive line.

It can be said that it was precisely because of the existence of these professors that their front line would have collapsed long ago.

How are we supposed to build a strong defense line when we're stuck with these allied insect hordes?!

Theseus punched the railing of the yacht.

Just now, his footage showed another wizard deserting his post, causing his teammates to be attacked from both sides.

"No news has come yet!" he said coldly.

His expression was frighteningly serious.

He could see that Moody and Kingsley were doing their best to consolidate their lines—but what good was the staff's plan if the two men they had brought from England couldn't be the ones executing it?

The main thing is that wizards from other countries have to carry it out.

But the result of its execution—to put it another way—was even more chaotic than when the Hogwarts, Gryffindor, and Slytherins were fighting amongst themselves.

At least Gryffindors and Slytherins unconditionally trust their companions. When they fight, although their fighting ability is much weaker than that of Aurors, they are incredibly brave. Once they charge in, not even nine bulls can pull them back.

And look at this group of insects before me—each one harboring wicked intentions, far inferior to the little wizard!

"What are they doing? There's still no news!" Sirius roared angrily.

Of course he was anxious. Others might not know, but how could he not?

The wizard who fought the mountain-sized giant was none other than that kid Owen!

Good heavens!

What a battle it was! Although the sky was dark, he still caught a glimpse of the magic.

If he hadn't recognized the figure so well, he would have thought it was Dumbledore fighting inside.

"We have no solution, but news has come from Tonks that the Muggles might have one."

"Muggle?"

Tonks is now in charge of contacting Muggles, becoming a wizard's envoy.

She will simultaneously gather information from both sides on the battlefield, providing decision-making information to the commanders of both sides.

"What can they possibly do!" Sirius scoffed at the idea.

The golden curtain—somewhat similar to the white curtain he had seen at the core of the World Tree—was undoubtedly woven from runes.

Can Muggles decipher runes?

Do not make jokes.

Theseus, however, took Sirius's disdain much more seriously.

Although he is nearly a hundred years old, his white hair and the deep wrinkles on his face make him look very old-fashioned.

But in reality, Theseus was probably one of the wizards who knew the most about Muggle weapons.

He was involved in Grindelwald's speech and witnessed the battlefields of Muggles during both World Wars.

They knew they had an unparalleled talent for destroying themselves.

Wizards should not underestimate them.

However, before he could speak further, a sudden, loud roar drew their attention.

The sky suddenly brightened.

Standing on the deck, everyone instinctively looked up.

Then they saw—countless sparks flying overhead, trailing long plumes of smoke.

In the east wind night, flowers and trees are bloomed, and the stars are like rain.

The dense barrage of rockets was instantly unleashed on the screen.

The explosion was louder than thunder.

The next second, the golden light screen dimmed slightly.

"???"

There is no defense in this world that a single round of long-range rocket artillery cannot penetrate. If there is, then another round will do the trick.

At the same time—the rain of truth from other countries and regions also arrived, and the sound of explosions rang out again.

The light screen dimmed a little further.

"???"

"This—this is the Muggle method?" Sirius was speechless.

Is all these Muggles can do besides "exploding"?

Decades have passed, and all they've learned is how to drop bombs efficiently?

Hmm—how should I put it!

This is so satisfying to fry!

However, this exhilarating feeling did not last long.

Enraged by the artillery fire, the Ominous Legion launched an even more frenzied attack.

The seawater churned, creating huge waves tens of meters high.

Meanwhile, the ominous signs, riding the wind and waves, looked down upon the completely exposed wizards and hurled their corrupting fires.

Sirius Black had already experienced firsthand how troublesome this flame was.

The Ironclad Curse cannot completely block it; it's somewhat similar to the Corrosive Curse of Dark Magic. The corrosive effect of the flames will gradually erode the Ironclad Curse's effectiveness.

Defeating one or two Ominous Children is not a big deal for a wizard, but there are too many of them, and this time there are no giants to help the wizard draw their fire.

Once targeted by dozens of ominous signs, a wizard will have a hard time surviving under the flames unless he can escape by Apparition.

"I'm going up first," Sirius said. "These creatures are troublesome to deal with; they have no experience with them."

After saying that, he Apparated and left the yacht.

--------

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield.

On a coastline somewhere in Sicily.

This area is located in the easternmost part of the island's sea.

Standing on the shore, one can see the surging waves. Heavy rain is pouring down, and countless Muggle guards are setting up a cordon along the coast, preventing anyone from approaching.

However, this had no effect on Hermione and her friends, who easily crossed the blockade and arrived at the edge of a cliff.

"Hermione—" Ron looked at the sea with some worry behind the girl.

"Are you really sure those two guys' boats can withstand this kind of storm?"

"Hey—Ronald, what are you talking about?" George and Fred immediately grabbed Ron on either side, pretending to throw him off the cliff.

"Don't think I don't know. You only spent a few hours modifying the sailboat. Is it even usable?"

"How about we sneak onto a warship? Look over there, that's the French fleet! We can sneak aboard—" Harry pointed to the far end of the sea.

Amidst those waves, a small French fleet was sailing against the wind and waves toward the cloud-shrouded defenses.

Dozens of fighter jets flew overhead, their roar audible even from the shore.

"Hey—Harry, you don't believe us anymore either!"

Gemini looked extremely angry.

"Their ships are nowhere near as good as our magic ships!" George said, then reached into his pocket and rummaged around.

"That's right! Even if we only spent a few hours modifying it, it's still more powerful than a Muggle's ship!" Fred said firmly. "We are Hogwarts' best alchemists!"

"I'll be the world's most famous alchemist someday!" George laughed boastfully, full of confidence and exuding the poise that comes with his age.

Miss Granger, who witnessed all of this, lowered her eyes slightly, her neat teeth clenched together, and her fists clenched tightly!

She remembered someone.

A person who also exudes an air of arrogance.

She secretly made up her mind that if she didn't give that guy a good beating the next time she saw him, she would never be a Granger again!

"Look at this!" Suddenly, George pulled a glass bottle out of his backpack.

It was just a fairly ordinary glass bottle.

Through the bottle, you can see a model of a sailboat inside.

Moreover, sailboats don't have sails.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Ron shouted. "In a bit, we'll each get a bottle and ride them across the ocean!"

"Shut up!" Fred pressed his hand down on his mouth!

George didn't explain; he simply drew his wand and chanted a long spell over the bottle.

Then he swung his arm and threw the glass bottle into the sea.

One second later—nothing happened on the sea surface.

Two seconds—and just like that, the cold wind made their noses turn red.

Three seconds!

Suddenly, the seawater began to churn, and a large wave crashed in, revealing a luxurious sailboat about twenty feet (6 meters) long.

That sailboat was clearly not from centuries ago.

It looks more like a modern Muggle yacht.

The ships were not made of wood, but of metal, with only a layer of wood on the deck.

There was no mast, and three flags were hung at the stern of the ship.

The Hogwarts school flag, the Gryffindor house flag, and finally the Weasley Alchemy workshop flag.

"We'll name it Shani!"

"In memory of our great ancestors," the twins said, one after the other.

"Get on the boat!" George said. "Don't stand here in the rain."

After saying that, the group jumped off the cliff. Hermione cast a clever shock-absorbing and speed-stopping spell, and they landed safely on the ship.

"Hermione's decision to return to London and bring us here was absolutely the right one!" Fred said as he led the young wizards into the ship's cabin, which had been enchanted with the Infinite Strength Charm. "We really only spent a few hours modifying this ship."

"But—it's no less capable!" George continued, "Invisibility, cannon firing, sturdy and durable, able to withstand most spells. And it's not driven by wind, but by magic—like Nicol. Our designed engine can guarantee it can travel thousands of miles without losing power."

"And we've also prepared a lot of supplies on board." He pointed to a row of rooms in the cabin.

"Everyone has their own room."

Fred spoke up, "If we hadn't been so pressed for time, we could have made it fly!"

"Fly?" From the moment he stepped onto the ship, Ron kept banging on things, touching this and kicking that.

He simply couldn't believe that the Gemini could transform such a luxurious ship in just a few hours.

"I just saw a shipyard sign on the wall. Where did you get this ship from?"

Ron frowned and said, "The first step in the modification is that you need a search ship!"

How can you modify a boat if you don't have one?

"Oh! That's all thanks to Dobby!" George said. "Isn't he helping out at our alchemy workshop?"

"When we said we wanted to search the boat, they brought one over!"

"???" Hermione turned to look at him. "You got one?"

"It was borrowed, we borrowed one!" George immediately corrected himself, "It's that movie director Dobby knew before. He made a fortune making movies and bought a sailboat. When he heard Dobby needed it, he lent it to him."

"It's best to borrow it!" Hermione said seriously. The situation was urgent, and she didn't have time to investigate the origin of the ship, but that didn't mean she wouldn't look into it later. "Remember to return it after you're done."

"No problem!" the twins said in unison.

As for whether or not they will repay the debt, only God knows.

Fred went to the helm in the cabin.

Sailing the magic sailboat is very simple; just wave your wand and it will sail automatically.

George pressed a red button, and the ship trembled slightly, just like their flying car. After pressing the button, the ship began to become transparent and gradually disappeared into the sea.

Riding the wind and waves, the sailboat moves quite fast.

Harry and Ron peered curiously at the sea outside the window.

It was the first time for both of them to be on a boat.

Previously, the Weasleys won a big prize and traveled to Egypt using a Portkey from the Ministry of Magic.

Taking a boat trip is indeed a novel experience.

However—this experience didn't last long, and the two of them gradually looked grim.

"Hah!"

Inside the cabin, Harry and Ron each held a wooden barrel, their mouths watering.

It was so bumpy!

Even though the twins had already cast a spell on the ship to stabilize it.

But this time they were facing no ordinary waves.

Moreover, it was Harry Ron's first time on a boat, and the experience was absolutely terrible for them.

As for the other three...

Fred was busy steering the boat and didn't care about being seasick.

George was quickly jotting something down, probably about his user experience, for the next modification.

Hermione—her heart had already taken flight and soared to faraway seas. She was unaware of the sailboat's rocking.

And so it went—after about twenty minutes of driving.

Suddenly, many Muggle ships appeared around the sailboat.

They have already sailed into the vicinity of the US North Atlantic Fleet.

"Wow! Look over there! What a magnificent ship! It's like a floating city!"

Finally, the seawater outside the window was no longer making him want to vomit. Ron immediately put down the wooden bucket, pointed to a huge ship in the distance, and said.

"I have never seen such a huge ship before. It is much more magnificent than George's ship."

Hearing the sound, Harry, his face pale, craned his neck and looked out the window.

"That's an aircraft carrier!" he said. "I remember the Royal Navy also has these kinds of warships."

"Hmph! What's so great about it?" The twins were indignant because of Ron's words. "What's the use of being so great?"

"When we get back this time, we'll ask Dobby, and we'll get one too!"

"Get one?" Miss Granger squinted at the two clowns, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "You two want to steal a warship?"

"What do you mean by stealing!" George retorted. "That's borrowing!"

"Yes, I'll borrow it to take a look."

"Oh—really?" Hermione took out a telescope and carefully observed the fleet.

Looking at the Stars and Stripes fluttering above the ship's wheel.

"Then you can give it a try."

"If you get caught, don't speak English."

"???" The twins looked at Hermione in surprise.

Hey!

Is that your line, Granger?

Are you sure that's not Kyrie Irving standing here?

Just as the young wizards were bickering, outside—on the sea—suddenly space distorted, and then a rebellious witch with pink hair, wearing a strange sister's shirt and patched jeans, flew out on a broomstick.

Then she waved her wand, and the golden light of the True Form Charm gently caressed the surface of the sea.

In an instant, she locked onto Gemini's ship.

(End of this chapter)